Phenomenal experience with Bear Valley while visiting family in Boise! Check in was smooth and painless. A quick 10-15 minute bus ride took us up to the drop for "Staircase." There were 6 boats on our tour - our guide Cole was awesome! Super friendly and knowledgeable dude who's been all over the world rafting and kayaking. The ride started chill, the heat was blazing, and the water cool! The rapids were really fun. We even stopped for a mid ride cliff jump! That was unexpected and completely awesome. Even when I thought we were done with the rapids, there was another! Highly recommend. read more

Taylor H was our guide for a Cabarton rafting trip on June 10, 2026 and was absolutely incredible guide! It was our first white water rafting trip and he did an exceptional job of guiding us on the river! I highly recommend this rafting company and the lunch was delicious. read more

Check in time was 1:00 pm. They said meet guide at 1:15. They didn't come until 1:30 pm. Didn't get in raft until 2:00 pm. Lots of inefficiencies and wasted time. The half day main is a lot of floating. Not a lot of rowing or rapids. Maybe three class II and three class III rapids in a 2 hour span. Fun once but I wouldn't do it again. read more

We love floating The Boise River float yearly but felt we needed a little more than just 2 or 3 Level 3 rapids; so we decided to go next level and drive out to Banks, Idaho. After reading many reviews we decided to try out Bear Rafting Valley Company. Boy are we glad we did! We had a Blast!!! We had a party of 4. (2 adults and 2 kids). We are elderly and was a bit worried that it might be a bit too much...but the only problem we had is we couldn't stop smiling and laughing. There was a total of 7 on our boat. Our guide was a fun, very knowledgeable about nature, safe and entertaining man named Max. He kept us entertained the whole 3 hours. He even let our Grandkids jump out of the boat and swim. I was nervous when the grandkids did - but he said don't worry-I'll get them in the raft safely. There were several level 2 and 3 rapids that kept it exciting. We will definitely come again! The front staff is also very friendly and accommodating. I loved the fact that the drive was only 50 minutes from Meridian! Who knew this fun place was so close! We will definitely be back! read more

Bear Valley River - Level 3 Rapids! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

We had such a blast out there. Filip was an awesome guide! He made it super fun, was friendly, very knowledgeable, and took really good care of us all. Also the rafts and equipment were all in really good shape. read more

Bear Valley River - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

My friends and I did the half day rafting trip recently. The staff were amazing, especially our guide Payton. We all had a fantastic time! I highly recommend this company. They are a knowledgeable and fun group. I'm looking forward to doing the more advanced full day rafting trip next summer! read more

Bear Valley River - Half day rafting trip on the Payette river, - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

We had a BLAST at Bear Valley Rafting!!! Filip was our guide and he was AMAZING!!! We had our own private tour because no one else was there on the day we went rafting amd everything went PERFECTLY!! 11/10 would recommend! Filip and Magnus are THE BEST!!! read more

Debo was a fabulous guide. We had 4 adults and kuds 8 & 10. He really knows how to work with groups and align the boat for maximum fun and also safety. Our bus driver followed us on the route and got some great photos, read more

Everything about our experience was amazing. All the staff were knowledgeable and funny and made the whole experience enjoyable. It felt like a comedy Show and adventure ride all wrapped into one. Our guide Annie was absolutely amazing. Very personable, funny and witty. I will do this again! read more

We were so excited for today and both the excursion and Ruby exceeded our expectations. White water rafting with Bear Valley Rafting will be a core memory we will all cherish for years to come. Ruby was professional, coached us and cheered us on. Highly, highly recommend this outing! read more

We had Filip for our guide. The overall experience was great. We have adventured with this company before but it was our first time doing STAIRCASE. Very fun and daring yet super safe. Highly recommend. Extra advice - I would do the main first and save STAIRCASE for your second time. Or just go all in and do the all day Canyon. read more

so much fun! Liam is awesome and Hannah was a beast at getting great pictures. the half day trip is super chill for anyone and such an amazing experience read more

We did the half day staircase for my Dad's birthday trip and Filip was our guide. He was amazing! The trip was perfect. The guides were hilarious and we absolutely recommend this company! We'll do the full day canyon next! read more

Did the staircase this morning with Drew as our guide, he did an amazing job and it was super fun!

Our guide Jose was amazing. He is so experienced and put me at ease. Then I was able to really have some fun. Made the experience amazing Go Jose read more

Had an amazing trip! My daughter with a broken arm was able to join us and had the best experience and my younger daughter still can't stop talking about how wild and crazy and fun it was! Such a good experience - great crew and smooth but awesome ride! read more

Today, we went out on the Payette River with Bear Valley Rafting. Our tour guide was Galen, an amazing guy. We had an amazing time. The water was beautiful, the day was amazing, and the people who came with us were wonderful. read more

Bear Valley River - Galen an amazing river guide with great stories he shared. It was a great day. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

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We rented an Airbnb, unaware of the prevalence of rafting and kayaking in this area. Luckily our host highly recommended we book a trip - so we booked two with Bear Valley. We couldn't have been more pleased. We went during the week and pretty much had the river to ourselves. Parking was easy, check in was a breeze. They make sure you're accommodated, safe, and fairly entertained to and fro the river. If you've ever been rafting, you know the guides make or break the trip. Because we came out two different days, we got to know a few different ones: Filip and Liam led our trips. What can you say about these gentleman that hasn't already been said? Filip was our first guide for half day - knowledgable, good humored, and a black belt in like 4 different languages. Liam travels around the world and led our canyon tour (if you're gonna go rafting here, do the canyon trip). He has extensive knowledge of the area's geography, history and makes a dang good salad - which was appropriately dressed. I wish I could add another star just for the food. Tons of great memories, excellent conversations - couldn't have asked for more. And I'll just say this here, for what it's worth - please tip these guys. Bring some cash - say 20%. They work hard and go the extra mile. Cheers fellas - hope to see you again! read more

Such a great activity to do in the summer here! We went on the staircase and it was the perfect amount of thrill. Howie was such a great guide and provided amazing guidance and conversation. Howie is the man! read more

Our family recently moved to the Boise area and have loved getting to know our new state! We absolutely recommend BVRC! What a fantastic experience! We did the PM 1/2 day with our kiddos (8 and 10). The guides were very knowledgeable and super fun. Stella was our guide and she was great with the kids, I felt my children were safe and we had the best time! Can't wait to do it again! read more

Heather was amazing! So much fun. I've lived in Idaho 27 years and this was my first time rafting! Such a great experience, and I can't wait to go again! We did staircase and was so nervous, Heather explained what was going to happen and what to prepare for. It was fantastic! The photos turned out great! So happy with the whole experience! read more

Bear Valley River - Fun on the river - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

What a fantastic experience! We did the Staircase level 3/4 trip with Connor as our awesome guide. We felt very safe with Connor directing our group. He was great conversation and easy to float down the river with. My nephew jumped off a cliff, we did some raft tricks, and of course hit the rapids! The entire team (Connor, Philip, Howard, and Bridgette) was very informative with gear and safety and plenty of good jokes to make it fun. Hope to be back on our next trip to Boise! read more

We had a magical day rafting with Bear Valley River co! Alexa was our guide and she was the bomb! Alexa was extremely sweet dealing with my 2 kids on the river. It's such a beautiful ride, the scenery is something out of a story book. We did the half day, I highly recommend. read more

Went to Full-Day Cabarton North Fork with our 5 year old. We wanted to scout the area before we decide to experience it with our own kayak. Our little girl declared the trip "EPIC" and had such a blast. Not a moment wasted. Spectacular view of the Boise National Forest and spotted so many wild life. Rapids are awesome and my daughter "rode the bull" so many times that she's begging us for to take her for another ride. Isaac was so incredible and pointed out the best spots for us to take our own kayak. We'll definitely request for him to be our guide next time. He was so knowledgeable and could probably paddle with his eyes closed! That's how good he is. We felt like we were in safe hands. We also had Karen with us and she totally rocked! So much combined experience running the river that we had no worries at all. Lunch was delicious and abundant. Nothing better than having a picnic overlooking the Payette in Boise National Forest. read more

Bear Valley River - Coming up to Howard's Plunge - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

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We were visiting from out of state and wanted to do something fun and adventurous. We did the Main Payette trip with Liv and had the best time! Liv is an awesome guide and we will definitely be back for another rafting experience on our next trip. Thank you Bear Valley River! read more

Most amazing experience ever!!! My husband and I took our two teens far a half-day trip and had the time of our lives. Our guide Alexa was so much fun, knowledgeable, and friendly. Highly recommend! read more

Bear Valley River - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

Loved this group. We did a full day trip, family friendly so class III rapids. 10 adults, we were split into 2 boats. The Bear Valley team were so nice, organized, smart, fun to ride with. Would do one of their trips again for sure. read more

Bear Valley River - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

A ride for all ages. Big whitewater, for a beginner, buy kid friendly. Great parts to drift downstream. Guides for Bear Valley Rafting Company were outstanding. Highly recommend. Thanks to Wilma for driving us home safely! read more

Bear Valley River - Main 2PM Adios My Friends (AMF) - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

This has been my second time at Bear Valley River Rafting. It has been amazing both times and I will be back again! I brought my daughter and her boyfriend who were visiting and they really enjoyed it. Connor was a great guide and so much fun! Would love to float with him again. read more

Bear Valley River - Connor our guide! Great guy. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

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Taylor H was our amazing guide for our Cabarton trip this past Sunday! What an amazing experience! Taylor kept us all safe while helping us have a great day! We will definitely be back! Thanks Taylor! read more

We went down the staircase stretch and had an amazing time. Karen was our guide and we all had such a great bonding experience. She is a very skilled and talented individual. Highly recommend Karen and Bear Valley! read more

Bear Valley River - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

Harrison was an absolute blast! All the guides are very professional and know how to make sure you have a GREAT experience! Would recommend booking with them every time! We will be adding this to our family trip every summer! Thank you Bear Valley River Co! read more

This was my first time ever rafting and I had an amazing time! My guide, Kiefer was super funny and he lead our group really well. We did the main section and had some friendly competition with other rafts, it was great! I highly recommend this rafting company. We had a great time while staying safe! read more

We had a great time on our half-day trip. The guide was knowledgeable and focused on safety while also letting us do some more challenging things commensurate with our skill level. This is a fun section of river with a good mix of rapids and places to relax (you can even hop in if you want). Reservations are definitely recommended but we were also able to schedule a trip on fairly short notice. Good value for the money and I'd totally paddle with them again. read more

We had a great time floating the main Payette river. Our guide Alley did a nice job and kept things fun. Not sure how she helped a larger person back in the raft herself. Must have superpowers. Things got started a little late and we had to stand and sweat due to some out of state customers being late so that sucked in the 100 degree heat. We also didn't like the stinky, wet life jackets that reek like mildew so best to bring your own if possible. Nice and relaxing with a few class 3's to keep it exciting. I floated a good distance in the river outside the raft which was fun and kept things cool. Nice people and a fun afternoon. They also had bottled water and soda available at the take out which was excellent. The bus ride back was a good time too. Can't wait to come back again. read more

We had the BEST time on a half day trip we took today. My husband, daughter and I have never been white water rafting and decided to go for the slightly more adventurous South Fork/Staircase option. The guides were very friendly and super helpful. Our guide in particular, Sam, made our trip incredibly fun! He made us all feel so safe and interacted with the whole boat, giving all us newbies an amazing and safe experience. We would highly recommend this company and wish we were here longer to do a full day trip! If you're questioning it...don't! Go for it. You won't regret it! Thank you! read more

My family of 4 (including 2 kids ages 16 and 7) adventured with our guide Wyatt on the full day Cabarton trip. This included many class 2 and class 3 sections but also had plenty of slower sections to play in the water or relax on the boat. This trip was a great family adventure with fun for all! The rafting company was top notch! We started the trip with a 45 minute bus ride north to the launch spot. Our items were kept secure on the bus as the driver stayed with it all day. About halfway through the trip, the boats were pulled off the river and pulled up partially on a beach. The two guides then proceeded to pull out a large water cooler with mixes to make lemonade or iced tea. While we were all hydrating, they set up a table with a table cloth and made a delicious lunch of chicken Caesar salad wraps, potato chips, cantaloupe and homemade chocolate chip cookies. There was so much food that there was enough for everyone to have seconds with still more leftovers. After lunch, we were back to the river for the rest of the adventure. What a fun day for all! At the end of the trip, we got out of the rafts and a cooler of cold waters and soda was waiting for us at the disembark beach. As we were relaxing, the guides and bus driver were loading up the boats for the drive back. The final bus ride took about 30 minutes. The other guide, Keefer entertained us with stories. One surprise when we got back was a link to pictures of our adventure. As we were rafting, Walker, the bus driver, also stopped at a couple of locations and took pics of us on the river. We were able to purchase our digital pics at a very reasonable price to have lasting memories. Overall, the whole experience was top notch! Thanks so much to Wyatt, Keefer and Walker for a great experience and thanks to those behind the scenes to make our trip seamless! read more

Bear Valley River - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

First time river rafting and I was not disappointed. Our guide was Issac, who is an energetic young man with a great sense of humor. He made our trip down the river one to remember. If you are in the Boise area and have never tried river rafting, or if you have tired it and want something different, then this is the place. There are full day, half day and different areas where the rapids' intensity level meet each persons comfort zone. Safety is their first priority...then comes the fun!!!!! read more

Bear Valley River - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Banks, Idaho

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Hey y'all, recently took a trip down the Payette river with Bear Valley River Company and I have to say it was a rafting trip for the memory books. It was a well needed and immensely fun break from the harsh realities of covid-19 we are all dealing with. Weather it be the great family atmosphere the staff provides or the incredibly breathtaking views Bear Valley takes your through. A gem of what the great state of Idaho has to offer. Nothing seems to be better than an Idaho potato except a trip with Bear valley. We ended up in a raft with just the three of us in our group. A friendly welcome from our fun and incredibly sociable guide Heather. From every angle she made us feel welcomed and catered to what we were looking for out of our experience. If anyone deserves praise it's gotta be her. I've gone rafting in several different states but she really made this a highlight of my trip here. Easily the funnest and genuinely awesome guides I've ever met. Can't wait to come back again and of course "ask for Heather!" Get yourself down to bear valley and have the time of your life riding the bull but be careful you may get the horns!!! read more

Amazing rafting experience, great guides and beautiful scenery. 10/10. Tristan is the best